This blog post will walk you through: vitamin d3 is same as vitamin d. Don’t worry, we’ve got all the answers about this subject.
What Is Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is found in certain foods and supplements, but it can also be made by the body when your skin is exposed to the ultraviolet rays of sunlight. It is actually the only vitamin of the 13 essential vitamins that your body can manufacture on its own. One of the main roles of vitamin D is promoting calcium absorption, which allows for proper bone mineralization and growth.
Check your vitamin D levels at home with the Everlywell Vitamin D Test.
What’S The Difference Between Vitamin D And Vitamin D3?
Both D2 and D3 are simply called “vitamin D,” so there’s no meaningful difference between vitamin D3 and just vitamin D.
That being said, it can be worth understanding how vitamin D2 and D3 specifically are different from each other—so here’s a quick rundown:
Vitamin D3 is the form of vitamin D the human body makes when sunlight strikes the skin. The body can’t manufacture vitamin D2.
Vitamin D2 primarily comes from plant sources (like wild mushrooms), and forms when certain kinds of plants are exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun. Similarities between vitamin D2 and vitamin D3
While their chemical makeup and sources differ, vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 have much more in common. Thus, the type of vitamin D you get is less important than getting the right dose and making sure your levels are in the right range to avoid deficiency.
Vitamin D. Nih, Office of Dietary Supplements. Nair R, Maseeh A. Vitamin D: The “sunshine” vitamin. Vitamin D2 vs. D3: Which Should I Take for Bone Health?.
Cleveland Clinic.
What Are The Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3?
The term vitamin D is kind of a misnomer because you will not find anything labeled simply as “vitamin D” in a pharmacy vitamin aisle. Rather, your choices will be vitamin D2 (What is vitamin D2?).
For the purpose of this article, when vitamin D is mentioned, it will refer to vitamin D2. The 50,000 IU capsules are prescription only, while lower strengths are available over-the-counter.
Main Differences Between Vitamin D And D3 Vitamin D2 Vitamin D3 Drug Class Vitamin D Analog Vitamin D Analog Brand/Generic Status Brand And Generic Available Brand And Generic Available What Is The Generic Name?
What Is The Brand Name?
Ergocalciferol or vitamin D2
Drisdol, Calcidol, Calciferol Cholecalciferol, Vitamin D, Or Vitamin D3
Decara, Dialyvite D3 Max What Form(S) Does The Drug Come In?
1,000 Iu To 2,000 Iu Daily For Vitamin D Supplementation 1,000 Iu To 2,000 Iu Daily For Vitamin D Supplementation How Long Is The Typical Treatment?
Supplements 101: Vitamin D
It’s a family of nutrients that shares similarities in chemical structure. Research even suggests that vitamin D2 is less effective than vitamin D3 at raising blood levels of vitamin D. This article sums up the main differences between vitamin D2 and D3.